Nonlost

JDRF Walk, 2010

2010-03-23T18:04:00.005-05:00

Breakfast (why the breakfast for a diabetes event is all-carb is beyond me):
A nice sand-sculpture:
Devin and Grandpa, starting the walk:
Devin and (her) Mom, continuing the walk (she outpaced G'pa and I for the first time):
There's always something oceany to take pictures of (washed up jellyfish):
A couple of pictures to kind of show the line of people:

The End:
A Self-Portrait:
Deving, playing after the walk:

We got our census form...

2010-03-17T16:41:00.004-05:00

...and promptly looked up the sections of the constitution which applied to the situation.

From the U.S. Constitution:
Article 1 Section 2:
"Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons. The actual Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct.
Amendment 14:
"Representatives shall be apportioned among the several States according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each State, excluding Indians not taxed."

These are the constitutional guidelines for our federal census, therefore question 1 on my census form is constitutional.

From my 2010 census form:
"1. How many people were living or staying in this house, apartment, or mobile home on April 1, 2010?" Pretty simple, quite constitutional.
"2. Were there any additional people staying here April 1, 2010 that you did not include in Question 1?" ??? If I answer the first question correctly, do I really need the second one?
Now that we've satisfied the census provisions in the Constitution, the part that pisses me off:
3 wants to know if we rent, have a mortgage, or own outright our home.
4 requests our phone number.
5 asks for first name, middle initial, and last name for each person living here. This might be ok, just to help eliminate fraud, but it's not technically in the constitution.
6 is sexist. Can the government not count us without segregating us by our private parts?
7 is ageist. Can the government not count us without segregating us by our age?
8 is racist. Can the government not count us without segregating Hispanics, Latinos, and Spanish origin folks?
9 is racist. By definition. "What is Person 1's race?" Can the government not count us without segregating us by race?
10 is about whether people in this home live or stay somewhere else sometimes. I don't even know what to say about this one. Does it really make a difference?
There's room on the form for 12 people.

Do I need to point out that the only reason the government needs this information is so that they can redistribute wealth (in theory) from those they see as having it to those ages, colors, and sexes that it sees as not having it?

I'm sure there's a regulation or code somewhere that makes this all legal, but it doesn't make it right.

I think I'll get a big fat red marker and write a "5" on the front page and return it.

well said:

2010-03-06T17:54:00.000-05:00

More Kevin's Mead pics

2010-02-16T21:34:00.002-05:00

Kevin is 18 now...

2010-02-14T22:17:00.003-05:00

We made this mead today. Local wildflower from 2008. 28 Brix with Lalvin EC1118.

We'll open the first bottle 31 Jan 2013. What a nice, dark and aromatic honey it was.

Nietzsche kind of revered hipocrisy,

2010-02-05T17:41:00.005-05:00

I don't see it as a very redeeming human quality, myself.

Pelosi: Where Are the Jobs, Mr. President?

August 1, 2003

Washington, D.C. -- House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi released the following statement today on the Bureau of Labor Statistics' announcement that 470,000 people abandoned their job searches in July and that 3.2 million private sector jobs have been lost since President Bush took office:

“The fact is that President Bush’s misguided economic policies have failed to create jobs. Since President Bush took office, the country has lost 3.2 million jobs, the worst record since President Hoover. And today we learned that in July nearly half a million people gave up looking for a job.

“Job losses are taking a real toll on the financial security of American families. While Democrats are fighting for opportunity, jobs, and economic security for working families, Republicans continue to focus on helping those who need help the least...
“It is time for President Bush and the Republicans to get to work for all Americans, not just the elite few

Well, we're at a jobless count of 8.4 million during the current recession. Why does she not ask the president about that anymore? Is it really just because today's president is a Democrat? How very small-minded of her. And everyone else.

1 goal down...

2010-01-29T10:49:00.002-05:00

I got the 45 out of layaway back on the 3rd of the month, but didn't take any good pics until I ultra-lightly bead blasted the marred finish. It sure looks nice now!
I am relatively new to the 1911 scene. Back in '92 I had a combat commander, but I sold it.
I'm pretty sure the trigger and sights are aftermarket, and maybe even the mainspring housing (it's plastic!). I like the sights a lot, but the trigger has a wiggle to it that bugs me so I may work on/replace that.

The Not-So-Great Communicator

2010-01-29T10:40:00.003-05:00

think about the following sentence:

"The middle east is a problem that has plagued that region... for centuries."
-POTUS44 BHO 1-28-2010 at a town hall meeting in Tampa responding to a question from a USF student.

I realize I'm not Harvard educated, but isn't the region itself the middle east? Isn't that like saying that the home 2 doors down from me is a problem that has plagued that house for months?

Old Year, New Year, Same Words...

2010-01-23T11:16:00.001-05:00

thanks to Breitbart TV.

Old Year, New Year (Guns XXXIII)

2009-12-27T14:10:00.007-05:00

Well, we added to our collection this year unlike most.

in June we added a Heritage Arms .22 convertible (you've seen this posted before):

in September, we added this CZ52 to the family. Well, I guess I added this one.

I bought it without the Wife's permission, but she wasn't too upset when we saw one in a gun shop the next weekend for almost double what I paid. I wasn't really in the market for one, but I couldn't pass up a good deal:

at the beginning of November, we added this Bulgarian Makarov pistol to the collection.

It is one of the most comfortable pistols we own according to the wife who has claimed ownership of this one (so I guess I'll have to get one for me as well!):

last, but not least, our xmas presents! A pair of CZ82s. "His and Hers", if you will:

one by itself, with all the accessories it came with:

one of the great things about these pistols is the importer's mark, hidden away as it should be:

And what's in store for the new year?

-probably refininshing and restocking the CZ82s

-a .22 pistol with a sound suppressor

-perhaps a "his and hers" pair of 10/22s for the wife and I to customize our own rifles

-stocking up on ammo to feed the whole family of guns

-perhaps a few Mosin Nagant rifles since they are just soooo cheap

-constant deal watching

-oh, and getting my .45 out of layaway where it's been since the first week of November.

quizzical BHO

2009-12-01T20:15:00.002-05:00

(aff gann iss tan)
(pah kee stahn)
(tah lee bahn)
(al kaiedah)

This is the best I can do at spelling the president's pronunciation of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Taliban, and Alqaeda. the only one he seems to pronounce as though he were an American is "Afghanistan".

I don't know what this means, but I'm sure it means something...

13th Anniversary (IV)

2009-11-25T19:40:00.004-05:00

Day 3:

You can barely see (and boy are they hard to shoot!) the dolphins here. It took a couple days to get any pics of them since they don't pop up out of the water too much. They were active like the pelicans every morning in bad light.

This closer-up is the best I got:

Great Blue Heron:

And again with the GBH:

And the pre-dinner view, once again:

We had salmon with leeks. No pictures. I'll be sure to fix that next time we do anything like this. I did post some pics of salmon with leeks in the past if you're interested.

13th Anniversary (III)

2009-11-22T19:57:00.005-05:00

Day 2.

Pelicans seem to really love being active in the morning when the light's not too great:

The Wife and I have been paying attention to the sky here in Florida, and we just have to say that I don't think we've seen anything like it anywhere else:

Why, yes, this is a self-portrait. It was not taken by myself, however, but by the lovely Wife:

The not-as-stellar-as last-night's sunset, but still nice:

I think that last one was taken by the Wife. She was trying for that "lava" effect where the sun seems to melt into the sky before it quite reaches the horizon.

We retired to a grilled meal of Nathan's hot dogs, Johnsonville Brats, and pork tenderloin. Unfortunately, I failed to photograph dinner. Again.

13th Anniversary (II)

2009-11-21T21:38:00.007-05:00

Day 1.

At the seawall, almost immediately upon arrival:

I know it looks rickety, but I was quite surprised at it's stability.

Not the best light, but I like shooting pelicans:

The requisite self-portrait:

Nearing dinner time, day 1:

We had ribeyes, asparagus, and potato leek soup:) I failed to photograph the meal :(

13th Anniversary (I)

2009-11-14T09:42:00.003-05:00

A few pics related to the house we rented last weekend at Manasota Key.

A friendly 'gator:

The house, a view from the seawall:

The view from the bedroom:

change of pace...

2009-11-13T21:02:00.000-05:00

...even though I'm really riled up about politics, I'm going to ignore it all for at least today.

Hurricane Ida and the Bird. Not a band, but there's a video:

This is from our weekend last (13th anniversary weekend getaway) at Manasota Key.

BHO Jugend (V)

2009-10-31T13:32:00.000-05:00

Halloween is spooky even on this blog...

BHO Jugend (IV)

2009-10-31T13:27:00.001-05:00

Scary.

BHO Jugend (III)

2009-10-31T13:20:00.001-05:00

We'll try this again!

Scared? Happy Halloween!

MEAD

2009-10-25T10:36:00.003-05:00

This bottle of the 30brix went over very well at Fred's Oktoberfest party! He tells me I made some mead drinkers that night. That's my job. I'm a Meadvangelist.
SKOL!

Quote of the Day:

2009-10-20T19:10:00.002-05:00

"If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may have peace."

Thomas Paine

I have 3 children, so I guess I feel the same thrice over.

BHO jungend (II)

2009-10-02T17:10:00.001-05:00

Since the first video was apparently killed by YouTube, here's another posting.

Guns allowed in Arizona bars

2009-09-29T20:47:00.004-05:00

Hey, barkeep, if you're so concerned that guns might be kept (by folks who aren't even drinking) in the vicinity of your bar, don't you worry about all the cars in your parking lot?

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5i4PSarfGJNWRZRC0OWFn9f0dF59wD9B18F0O0

Mr. President, what office are you running for now?

2009-09-28T19:27:00.001-05:00

A good article, Mr. Boreing.

BHO Jugend

2009-09-24T18:04:00.002-05:00

Newsworthy?

2009-09-14T18:43:00.005-05:00

I searched the front pages of ABC news, CBS news, and NBC (or is it MSNBC) news for information on the 9/12 march in D.C.

my summation:

ABC: an article expressing nothing of the substance of the protest, only questioning the tally of participants. was it 30,000 or 2,000,000? I got the feeling from the article that it was simply the author's way of complaining about the excitement surrounding the event. Don't take my word for it, read it yourself! Also, there were 5 mentions of Kanye West. Who? Oh, Kanye "George Bush doesn't care about black people!" West.

CBS: an "opinion" section article describing the protest against Big Government as "a gigantic temper tantrum". Again, read it yourself! To CBS' credit, I only spotted the above-mentioned Mr. West once.

(MS)NBC: Kanye West: 1. Rally in D.C. featuring tens if not hundreds of thousands of anti-big-government protestors: 0.

I attempted image searches at Bing, Google, and Yahoo for the term "9/12 march on washington"

My #1 results from each:

Bing:

AIDS poster.

Google:

Picture of ACORN activists surely from some other event.

Yahoo:a photo from the "Let Gaza Live! National March on Washington"

Compare/Contrast pres.40 v. 44

2009-08-21T15:29:00.003-05:00

Pres. 40 (Ronald W. Reagan): "I won the nickname the great communicator. But I never thought it was my style that made a difference - it was the content.
"I wasn't a great communicator, but I communicated great things, and they didn't spring full blown from my brow, they came from the heart of a great nation, from our experience, our wisdom, and our belief in the principles that have guided us for two centuries."

Pres. 44 (Barack H. Obama):
"What they'll say is: 'well, it costs too much money' but, you know what, it would cost about... it... it... would cost about... it would cost about the same as what we would spend... it... over the course of 10 years it would cost what it would cost us... alright... okay, we're going to... the... it would cost us about the same as it would cost for about... hold on one second, I can't hear myself ah *giggles*, but I'm glad you're fired up, though, I'm glad."

A really bad piece of reportage:

2009-07-23T17:13:00.006-05:00

This article on KXXV ABC in Texas (actually an AP story) does not explain why the NRA is moving against Sotomayor except to say 'Sotomayor has a "hostile view" of the Second Amendment'. The article explains the US Chamber of Commerce's position even though it isn't relative to the story itself. We end the piece with a quote from an anti-NRA group but once again get absolutely no information about why they might back the controversial Supreme Court nominee. There is mention of the defeat of a bill to allow CCW holders reciprocity with every other CCW state, but the article fails to explain how that is at all relevant.

All in all, I guess readers are left to form their own opinions simply based on which lobbying groups they like. What a lazy way to fill some webspace...

Happy Independence Day!

2009-07-06T08:06:00.003-05:00

So... the wife worked this weekend. Since we couldn't BBQ at the park and enjoy the show, we thought we'd take the party to her. There was a good chance there'd be fireworks nearby, anyway.

So we went to the top of the parking garage at the hospital.
We got there about 6:30 so that I could start the grill and we could hopefully eat before dark.
She insists that we weren't allowd to have the grill there, but we didn't get in trouble. We did have a visit from a couple cops and security guards. Apparently someone complained that we were lighting fireworks. The kids were just throwing "pop-its" at each other.

I don't think I've ever gotten a top-view of a palm tree before, so here's a picture taken over the wall.

This is our view as the sun went down.

And our view once the show started.

I didn't authorize this...

2009-06-29T18:39:00.003-05:00

...and I'm not paying the tab, but I think I deserve a case of their beer just for being "Arn", don't you?

Test your IT industry knowledge and put yourself in with a chance of scoring a case of beer each Friday with the ARN quiz. Simply answer our six questions on what has been happening in the industry correctly and suggest one of your own for the following week's quiz to be in with a chance. Only those entrants that correctly answer all six questions are eligible with the one with the best question - as judged by the ARN editorial team - considered the winner. So if you want to have a case of beer delivered to your office to kick off Friday afternoon drinks, click here!

A South African Example

2009-06-26T13:24:00.003-05:00

Of what happens every single time a government gets involved in things that aren't their business. What do you think... confusing enough? A lack of foresight could criminalize every South African gun owner in a few days.

the original article: at iol.co.nz
Gun owners to get a another shot at Act
The SA Hunters and Game Conservation Association has welcomed an interim court interdict, saying it would temporarily stop more than a million South African gun owners from becoming criminals at the stroke of midnight on June 30. Judge Bill Prinsloo on Friday granted an urgent order in the High Court in Pretoria that all firearm licences granted under the 1969 Arms and Ammunition Act shall be deemed to be lawful and valid, pending the outcome of an application to declare portions of the new Firearms Control Act unconstitutional. The new Act came into operation in 2004, but was in terms of Schedule 1 of the Act phased in over a five-year period, ending on June 30. The Act forces licensed gun owners to re-apply for their licences, including applying for competency certificates, failing which they must dispose of their firearms, or could have them forfeited to the state.
'Everything carries on' The Act also criminalises gun owners who have not applied for the renewal of their licences. They face criminal prosecution and can be sentenced to a year imprisonment for not applying and a further maximum of 15 years for the unlawful possession of a firearm. The association's lawyer, George Nell, described the judgment as "excellent". He said it was of national importance, not only for the Hunters Association, but for all private gun owners. "I think the SAPS and the authorities should have a look at the judgment and maybe take out the positive points to carry out the message to the public more positively and to get their own house in order where necessary," he said.
'Everything is put on hold' Nell said their main application will probably only be heard in about six to eight months and would, if they were successful, have to be confirmed by the Constitutional Court. Police Director Phuti Setati said the judgment could not stop the introduction of the new Act, which will continue."Everything carries on, but because there's another application pending, all licences granted under the old Act remain valid. Everything is put on hold now until the main application is dealt with," he said.Setati said the SAPS respected the judgment and "would act accordingly". "We will study the judgment and will make sure that it is properly communicated internally and externally." - Sapa

this must be "quote" week for me...

2009-06-25T18:39:00.002-05:00

"The world doesn't need one more American IPA, the world doesn't need another hefeweizen. Make something that adds to the beer drinkers' choices."

I agree.

I have my Aliteration ale fermenting now. It's my Sarasota summer seasonal sparkling sour-mash something-or-other. I'm searching for the perfect beer for our summers, and I'm getting close...

Where did we find one like him?

2009-06-25T17:47:00.002-05:00

"On this Memorial Day, as our nation honors its unbroken line of fallen heroes -- and I see many of them in the audience here today -- our sense of patriotism is particularly strong."
-Barack H. Obama

Where do we find another president like him?

2009-06-22T19:40:00.003-05:00

"Remember that every government service, every offer of government-financed security, is paid for in the loss of personal freedom. ... In the days to come, whenever a voice is raised telling you to let the government do it, analyze very carefully to see whether the suggested service is worth the personal freedom which you must forgo in return for such service."
-Ronald Reagan

Heritage (Guns XXXII)

2009-06-16T20:41:00.003-05:00

I just couldn't help myself. I had to get a photo. I really need to learn about indoor lighting (still...) so I can get rid of the flash. I probably need a new tripod since I lost the QD base for mine at a ren. fest.
It's made here in Florida, woohoo! It has the color case hardened frame, green camo (laminate wood) grips, 4.75" bbl, 2 interchangeable cylinders: LR (pictured) and WMR, 6 shots, 4-click hammer, 50 yard report is it can bust up some dirt clods. It's loads of plinking fun without plunking down loads of cash!

Parker Hale, like new. (Guns XXXI)

2009-06-16T17:45:00.006-05:00

Remember the Parker Hale .270?
It was my dad's and it had a cracked stock. I took it to a local gunsmith. He said that he thought he'd be able to fix it.
When they called for me to pick it up, he had a new (beat up and ugly) wood stock on it and wanted to measure me for it. I explained that it was not the stock I wanted, that if I had to replace it I wanted the Hogue Overmolded stock. He was not happy because he'd already glassbedded (sic?) the rifle and I was not happy because some of the glasbedding (also sic?) was visible on the barrel.
I should have read more on the forums... I probably could have swapped stocks myself in retrospect, but I thought he'd fix the wood.
Long story short, he got the right stock and I'm glad to be done with the whole thing. He slopped on the screws and never did remove the extra glas (also also sic?). I'll not have him do any more gunsmithing for me. On the other hand, I should have guessed judging by the scratches on some of the for sale pistols (brand new) in the display cases that their attitude was more about functionality than about artistry.

Here she is:

On yet another hand, their prices are reasonable and I picked up a Heritage .22lr/mag SA revolver. I had them order it, and they never took it out of the box. It's pretty nice and shoots awfully straight for a ~$200 brand-spankin'-new pistol. I don't have pics of that one yet, but you can expect another post pretty soon: either I'll get some photos of the .22 or I'll get the Parker Hale out to the range and shoot some paper and some pictures.

... like I've just seen a ghost

2009-06-10T20:50:00.003-05:00

It's been a while, Dale.

Yahoo just added some "chat" thing onto email.

It's been a while since I've used the IM, so I didn't get your invite soon enough.

What's it been, now? A year?

Rest in peace.

unintentional internet vacation

2009-06-05T12:04:00.005-05:00

Our router went out on us almost a month ago. We got a new one from Verizon, but it wouldn't work with the old computer I was using. I broke down and spent some money for a new one yesterday and finally have it working. Hooray!

I look forward to blogging again very soon now.

Our drought of two years here has been impacted greatly over the last month due to some really good rains even before the traditional rainy season had begun.

I'll be blogging some more once I download my tons of photos from the cameras now that I have a new computer to do that with. See you then.

State Sovereignty

2009-05-10T18:19:00.004-05:00

Lawmaker aims at making Texas firearms exempt from federal regulation
By ANNA M. TINSLEY
atinsley@star-telegram.com

A Texas lawmaker wants to further push state sovereignty from the federal government.
Rep. Leo Berman, a former Arlington mayor pro tem, has filed a bill to make guns, ammunition and gun parts that are made, sold and kept in Texas free from federal regulation. "I fail to see why a bill is necessary in the first place, but ok..."
That would exempt them from federal gun registration, dealer licensing rules and buyer background checks. State laws would still apply.
"This does two things," said Berman, a Tyler Republican. "It tests our sovereignty in relationship to the federal government, and it would attract new small gun manufacturers to the state to manufacture certain types of weapons and ammunition that are only used in intrastate commerce."
Guns and sovereignty are fiery issues in the Lone Star State, where residents resist federal regulations that could trample on either right. "Kinda makes me wonder if Texas isn't the place for me..."
Sparks flew last month when Gov. Rick Perry talked about how some Texans might want the state to secede from the U.S. and when a bill advanced in the Legislature to tell the federal government to "cease and desist" imposing regulations on the state. "Our own (FL) governor has his head in the political clouds. He's more worried about getting that 'spendulous' check than he is about keeping our sovereign rights."
Berman’s bill, similar to measures in Montana and Alaska, would push the sovereignty button even further.
The bill is pending in the House Public Safety Committee.
Texas-made
Berman said his bill is geared to help smaller "mom and pop" gun, ammunition and gun-part makers in Texas.
Those who make and sell their products in the state would put a "Made in Texas" stamp on items meant to stay in Texas.
Lawmakers say the federal government regulates firearms and ammunition through its power to regulate interstate commerce. If Texas prevents those products from leaving the state, federal officials’ arguments for regulating them are rendered moot, state lawmakers say. "I'd say the same argument is good for a whole lot of things, among them drug prohibition and alcohol manufacturing (have you ever looked into the crazy TTB/ATF rules regarding making and selling wine, for instance?)."
"The bill requires every component to be made and stay in Texas," Berman said. "If it leaves Texas, it will be subject to federal legislation." "Makes perfect sense to me."
Critics say the bill is a long shot. They worry that if residents try to follow such a law, they would risk prosecution from the U.S. government, which may not recognize the legislation. Karl Dean Pifer, who owns KC Precision Ballistics in Granbury, said he has mixed feelings about the bill. "What's the issue here? If the bill passes, I'd think people would immediately begin manufacturing in-state items just to make the point. We 'gun nuts' can be pretty hard-headed."
He and his wife and daughter make federally licensed ammunition at their home for up to .50-caliber firearms. Last year, they sold about 10,000 rounds — an amount they have already reached in the first quarter of this year, Pifer said.
While he would like some of the regulatory relief the bill could bring, Pifer said, he’s worried that manufacturers might not be under strict-enough guidelines.
"With no regulation, it could open it up to a lot of bad guys doing a lot of bad stuff," he said. But "it would be great to sell within the state without any additional taxes or regulations." "This doesn't sound like a supporter of firearms freedom to me. Kinda reminds me of how AB lobbies to make the tax and fee burden as tough as possible on breweries just to keep the competition from getting a foot hold."
Test case?
A similar bill is pending in Alaska, where House members have approved the Alaska Firearms Freedom Act.
Some there say they see the bill as a way to reclaim some of their rights from the federal government.
But Texas lawmakers are keeping an eye on the Montana measure, which takes effect Oct. 1. That is the gun-sovereignty law they believe most likely to be tested in court.
Some have said they hope to set off a court battle by finding a Montana resident to notify the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives that he or she will build and sell "made in Montana" rifles without federal licensing. "I'm not too clear on why such a Montanan would need to notify the TTB (formerly the ATF) of anything at all."
If not allowed to proceed, the resident would file a lawsuit in the hope of making it to the U.S. Supreme Court for a final ruling.
"This will be the test case, to challenge the federal law," Berman said. "I’m very interested in our Second Amendment rights under the Constitution." "My opinion on this? Okay, since you insist. '...THE FREEDOM OF THE PEOPLE TO KEEP AND BEAR ARMS SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED.' I take this to mean that 'We the People' have the right to our weapons of war/hunting/action shooting/target shooting/plinking/etc... including those weapons made illegal to me before I was even born."

Hávamál stanza 38"
"Let a man never stir on his road a step
without his weapons of war;
for unsure is the knowing when need shall arise
of a spear on the way without."

Oh, to live here 150 years ago...

2009-03-25T19:36:00.004-05:00

Our nation's government has had 148 years of income tax. In 148 years of active governmental workings, we still do not have a plan to live within our means. Our government added the income tax 148 years ago, then steadily increased the income tax rate for 148 years to add greatly to their income, and still can't balance the checkbook at the end of the month!!! I think it's time for a real change: housekeeping time! Vote for Arn!

I've heard of the "Government Media Complex"

2009-03-24T18:11:00.004-05:00

Is this a perfect advertisement for it or what?

Barack Hussein "Messiah" Obama, peace be upon him.

nice halo.

U.S. President Barack Obama in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in the White House complex in Washington, March 23, 2009.REUTERS/Jason Reed

state fair

2009-02-21T14:59:00.006-05:00

So, I took off last monday (Presidents' day). The kids had all been given free passes for the last day of the Florida State Fair. I borrowed my parents' camera and we drove 108 miles round trip to the fairgrounds in Tampa. Cracker Country was right past the entrance, thankfully, so it wouldn't be missed. I think that was the most interesting part for me. Then there was the fried food and the whirly-rides.

Cracker Country photos:

In the "Dry Goods" store I was intrigued by the Tinctura of Humulus Lupulus. Better known as hops!

This chicken didn't like being cooped up:

Our girls, bird (well, chicken) watching:

Basic Brewing Radio did a show the theme of which was: you know you're a homebrewer when...

So, when I saw these huge salt vats, I thought to myself "those would make some great brewpots!".

If you click on the picture, you will be able to read the sign.

not Cracker Country photos:

Devin, sitting across from Lauren. I just wasn't able to get a picture with Lauren in it.

Devin, front seat on the roller coaster:
Kevin and Ashley (the girlfriend), front seat on a different roller coaster:
Lauren, loosing her grip:

CRASH! update

2009-02-02T20:53:00.005-05:00

Well, I found a driver for my MP3 player. *whew* I'm back in business at work.

I still don't have the printer running, and that's where I plug in my camera's card, so no new pictures. How about some old ones?

Grammy, 2002(?):

When we moved down here, we stayed with my Mom and Don for several months while we sold our St. Louis house and bought the one we live in now. They rescued a racing greyhound a couple years prior, and then there is princess who you're familiar with (here, and here):

And a classic Devin:

These pictures were on the old / new computer when I got it. That's pretty cool to me, since I didn't have all of them in the first place.

CRASH!

2009-01-27T19:52:00.002-05:00

Our computer died this weekend. Thanks to Don for giving me his old dell tower system a while back, it still works!

Anyway, it's too old to hook up my USB stuff like my MP3 player and the external hard drive which holds all my pictures, music, and podcasts, so the blog may be on hold until I get repaired/replaced and that may be a while. I've just made an appointment with the mechanic to remove all the money from our savings account in return for which our van will run like it did two months ago. What a deal!

Brasserie Caracole

2009-01-23T21:32:00.005-05:00

I first tried a Br. Caracole beer last year, at a H.A.M.S. pub social held at The Cock 'n Bull in Sarasota. They had Saxo (named after the Belgian inventor of the saxophone) on tap at I believe $7! They said it was a Belgian golden ale and I liked Duvel, so I thought I'd try it. I didn't realize until it was pulled that it was basically a half-portion (served in a tiny fancy glass). Turned out I didn't mind.

This is what I'm tasting tonight. It was on the discount shelf at the Beer Monster.

Spicy nose. Sweet aroma. Very carbonated. Light, but malt/hop balance is wonderful. Some alcohol in the flavor, but also in balance.

I don't know what it is- maybe yeast- about this brewery- but I think they're my current international favorite.

The link to Saxo is a beer review which I thought came pretty darn close to being a description of their amber ale, too! The one point I'd definitely argue though would be the finish on this one it extraordinarily long- perhaps 30 seconds, maybe even more.

By the way: we first went to The Cock n' Bull a few years ago for the halloween "Witches Ball". It was pretty chilly for October in Sarasota, but they had a fire pit going out back and a crock pot full of mulled mead at the bar. If you get the chance, I'd suggest taking a trip there.

Mead Update/ Next Mead !V

2009-01-19T19:16:00.002-05:00

The dried fruit mead. I've been agitating it (shaking the carboy instead of "punching down") at least twice daily and sometimes even thrice.

The Cabbage Palm/Mangrove triplets:

Lunch with the girls

2009-01-18T14:46:00.003-05:00

I took the girls to BJ's today to do some grocery/household shopping. Kevin stayed home with his new XBox 360. The girls had a hard time picking one cheese to bring home. Since they were trying really hard to get along and decide on a cheese together, I let them get both. They also went to the Fresh Market yesterday with grandma and unbeknownst to me they had brought cheese home from that trip. We got home about 1:00 and Kevin had eaten already, so I let the girls figure out lunch for the 3 of us (the Wife is working). This is what they came up with:
Clockwise from the top: Irish Cheddar (nutty), American Gouda (mild, but good), Polly-O string cheese (pretty well flavorless in comparison), Kaukauna party cake spreadable (well-liked to my surprise), Cabot's 3 year old extra sharp Cheddar (hands-down favorite), Helluvagood Cheddar (smooth),. There were sesame, wheat, and buttercrisp crackers (Keebler Toasteds) and some salami in the middle. It was quite a lunch!

next mead III

2009-01-14T20:22:00.002-05:00

This is what the dried fruit mead looked like after I cleaned the airlock. When I got home today, the airlock was full of pink, and when I removed it I was hit with fruit shrapnel. Apparently it was blocked and pressure was building up in there.
In order to prevent this and to preserve the volume (I didn't lose much, but I don't want to either) I decided to transfer to my 3gallon carboy. The color was so dark after so little time that I figured it wouldn't hurt to dilute it a bit. I dissolved the other 1.5# of honey into 1 gallon of water and added it. Here is the result:

Oh, and a bottle of my WSSAle v3.1 all-grain. I'm not happy with the spice mixture on this one, but it'll be better next year!

Peppered Salmon with Leeks

2009-01-14T18:20:00.000-05:00

I thought maybe I'd try adding cooking (a hobby I haven't been indulging much lately) to the blog. I need to work on my indoor photography for this stuff, though.

This is date night food. Or at least "after the kids go to bed" food.

Serves 2.

2 portions skinless Salmon filet (my portions are probably on the large side- just under 1/2lb. each)
2 leeks (try to find leeks with a lot of white on them- that's the part you'll eat)
2Tbs. butter
1/4 cup white wine (we like Riesling, but anything fruity is nice)
1Tbs. flour
2Tbs. cream
salt (I use Kosher because it dissolves nicely)
pepper (freshly ground is critical)

Liberally coat the salmon with pepper and sprinkle with a pinch of salt.

Preheat oven to 350F.

Melt the butter in an oven proof skillet (I use a 10" stainless skillet with a stainless handle- no meltable handles!) over medium heat.

Slice leeks thinly and add to butter along with a pinch of salt. Cook until softened, similar to cooking onions.

When leeks are soft, add flour and cook for 1 minute.

After cooking flour, add wine and bring to a boil.

Place slamon filets on top of the mixture and place in the oven.

Cook for 6 minutes, remove skillet from the oven and flip the salmon.

This is the tricky part! Put the skillet back in the oven. Don't forget that the skillet is HOT. I almost always grab the hot handle at this stage and then say things the kids shouldn't hear.

This is a silicone santa potholder/trivet:

Cook for 6 more minutes.Remove from oven. Plate the salmon, but leave the other stuff in the skillet.

Drizzle and whisk the cream into the now thickened wine/leek sauce. Once nicely combined, pour over the salmon and serve with either the wine you opened to cook with or a good Pilsener works well, too.

update re: next mead

2009-01-12T20:11:00.004-05:00

I only used 1.5# of the honey to start with. If it looks like it will ferment dry, I will feed it some more.

the next mead

2009-01-12T18:44:00.005-05:00

I may have to dilute it later, that's a lot of fruit for 1 gallon, but I want to see how strong the taste can be. I may also start it with only 2 lbs. of the honey since I'm not sure how much sugar I'll get from the dried fruit. When I spotted the antioxidant blend I instantly thought "that should make for a very ageable mead!"

I know some purists would decry my use of box-store ingredients, but come on... aren't you just a little curious? Besides, I make up for it by having 15 gallons of traditional mead bulk aging to which I added nothing but local raw honey, water, and yeast.

Winter Vacation...

2009-01-07T20:22:00.000-05:00

... for the kids anyway. It ended when they went back to school yesterday.

I remember winter break when I was a kid. I spent every odd winter and spring break and every summer break with my dad while I was in grade school and he lived in Idaho and later Wisconsin. COLD AND SNOWY!!!

I know I sound like a broken record, but you gotta love Florida!

From left to right: Lauren's left hand, Kevin filling Devin's bike tire with air, and Devin eagerly awaiting the return of her bicycle.

Devin:

The lot of them:

Remember how I want to make impressionist photos? I got close again. Especially on the second one.

WSSAle v3.0

2009-01-07T20:04:00.000-05:00

A Happy New Year to All!

2008-12-31T18:56:00.001-05:00

Even to socialists. May you change your ways in the coming year.

infection

2008-12-18T19:31:00.004-05:00

Well, I thought I had it whipped! ...

...but the bottles of WSSAle3.0 now have a film/scum on them. I figure that as long as they don't live past 2008 they'll be alright. They are developing a crust (pellicle?) though, so you have to ignore that because it breaks up when pouring and flows out with the beer, but they don't taste bad yet.

WSSAle v3.1 is still in the primary. In case I didnt't post about it (and I don't think I did), It was 9lbs. of Munton's mild ale malt+ 1lb. Weyermann's CaraAroma [mashed~150 for 90 minutes] + 1/2oz. EKG 60min. +1/2oz. EKG 7minutes, +1.25lbs. panela sugar (from Columbia- the ingredients' list is: "pressed cane juice") for a starting gravity of 1.060, cooled in kettle on the lanai (that's like a patio to y'all up north) and pitched the next day with SafAle's 33 (IIRC). It is not showing any signs of infections after a week and a half in the fermenter and I will not rack or bottle it until I replace my tubing. That's the number one suspect right now.

2008-12-14T14:45:00.002-05:00

Salvador "Sal" Jimenez
Jimenez, SalvadorOct. 16, 1963 - Dec. 9, 2008Salvador "Sal" Jimenez, 45, Palmetto, formerly of Danbury, Conn., died Dec. 9, 2008.Visitation will be 2 to 7 p.m. Sunday at Toale Brothers Funeral Homes, Bradenton Chapel.Survivors include three daughters, one son, two sisters and his parents, Enrique and Hilda Lopez.In lieu of flowers, you may make donations to the Nancy Jimenez Trust Fund, c/o Grimes Goebel Law Firm, 1023 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton, FL 34205.

Sal

2008-12-10T20:02:00.004-05:00

Rest in Peace, friend.

September, at the Ortiz' wedding.

An 80 year old man in a Hummer pulled out in front of his motorcyle at lunch break yesterday. He died about 5 1/2 hours later in the hospital.

'Twas the night before Thanksgiving...

2008-11-27T10:02:00.002-05:00

It was a bit chilly. Somewhere around 68 degrees. I wore a long-sleeved shirt. I am thankful for Florida weather among other things.

Then and Now or: 14 Years and Still Taking the Same Pictures

2008-11-24T20:03:00.002-05:00

In 1994 I was taking a photography class at Meramec Community College (St. Louis Community College's Kirkwood campus). The assignment was "Patterns of Light". This was one of my attempts, though not one of my favorites due to the massive amount of grey and lack of contrast:

The glass itself is interesting though you can't tell in the photograph. It's a Winnie the Pooh wineglass just like this set on Ebay.

I only thought to find, scan, and post the above picture when I realized the similarity it held to the below photograph which I took on Sunday.

WSSAle v3.1 2008 (III)

2008-11-19T18:33:00.003-05:00

Turns out I'm lazier than I thought.

I couldn't get the Hennepin yeast going and I haven't brewed yet.

I did rack my Cabbage Palm/Mangrove Mead. What? You haven't heard about that one yet? ....

Back just after Mead Day, Sue at In The Spirits had a walk-in beekeeper who offered her 5 gallon pails of honey. It was a combination of Cabbage Palm and Mangrove honey and was pretty wet stuff. The price was right, though, so I was one of four H.A.M.S. club members who bought a bucket each. I divided mine into 3 batches. The first one was 5 gallons at 35brix, the second about 5.5 gallons at 30brix, and the third about 5.5 or 6 gallons at 25brix. I started fermenting them right around the Autumn Equinox and racked them all into 5 gallon carboys over this past weekend. What was left of the 2nd two (since they were over 5 gallons) went into the continuous fermenter which is currently a bucket. The 25 tasted pretty close to dry and a little hot, the 30 was definately sweeter and not so hot, and I didn't taste the 35. That honey is certainly different from the Orange Blossom I had earlier in the year! Not really floral, somewhat spicy, and a bit earthy. I suppose it will make for an interesting and rather unique mead.

If I remember, I'll have to tell you about my Guava Mead sometime.

A Taste of Manatee, 2 November 2008

2008-11-10T20:56:00.006-05:00

We went to "A Taste of Manatee" last Sunday mostly because Kevin was playing in his jazz combo and partly because of the allure of FOOD. Firkin and Fox (new restaurant, only been around a couple weeks) had some tasty New England clam chowder and unfortunately I can't remember who had some delicious fish tacos, but they had coleslaw and tomatillos on them and they were GREAT! And in case you didn't know, the jazz was cool.

There was also a custom motorcycle builder...

A tie-dye vendor...

A wine distributor with this tasty wine (a bottle of which I did purchase)...

a guy who's not who I thought he was...

quite a nice waterfront view...

ice sculpturing...

palm trees (don't you just love Florida in November?)...

the aforementioned jazz drummer...

and his girlfriend...

Happy 9th of November to my Wife!

2008-11-09T17:12:00.001-05:00

yeah, I know, I used this picture last year.

WSSAle v3.1 2008 (III)

2008-11-09T17:07:00.002-05:00

6,7,8 November 2008:

Waiting for something to happen in my Hennepin bottle. Nothing did.

9 November, 2008 (our 12th anniversary!):

Drank a 12 oz. Hennepin, swirled and poured dregs into the inactive starter and then applied the airlock. We shall see. If I get nothing this week, I guess I'll go with dry yeast and get my brewing done with by next weekend.

WSSAle v3.1 2008 (II)

2008-11-05T21:04:00.002-05:00

4 Nov. 2008:

Poured out several glasses of Hennepin so as not to leave it open for an extended period of time, then poured into the bottle and the dregs at the bottom of it my DME starter. Topped with an airlock.

Update 5 Nov. 2008:

No action yet. I may just go with dried yeast this year :( .

?

2008-11-05T21:01:00.000-05:00

What's there to say that hasn't been said?

I'm exhausted...

WSSAle v3.1 2008 (I)

2008-11-03T21:31:00.003-05:00

v3.0 is the extract version, but I won't get into that right now.

I am going to try my hand at documenting this year's attempt at my Winter Solstice Spiced Ale. v1.0 won me a blue ribbon at the county fair, and in my opinion it's only gotten better. Now that I'm gettting into all-grain, I've decided to add that into the (hopeful) improvements.

Fred (from H.A.M.S.) proposed a club contest for spiced winter beers due for judging in January. As I've been attempting and tweaking one for the last couple years, I thought I'd join in.

3 Nov. 2008:
Buy a 750ml bottle of Hennepin. Put it in the refrigerator.
Into a 1pt. Mason jar: 1/2 cup Munton's amber DME, 1 avg. sized Cascade hop pellet, water to 1 pt. Microwave until good and boiling. Sterilize lid with vodka then seal and leave out to cool.

Yep, that's what I've got done so far.

2008-10-29T20:26:00.002-05:00

from http://www.nra.org/ :

"I'm Chuck Norris, a black belt patriot...

"If some thug breaks into my home I can use my roundhouse kick, but I prefer he look down the barrel of my gun."

Me too, Chuck.

That's 9mm parabellum.

effigies

2008-10-29T19:24:00.005-05:00

Where's the outrage?

note: I do not endorse the sources, I am only borrowing from them.

from http://www.suprmchaos.com/ :

Anti-summit protesters burn an effigy of President Bush draped in an American flag in front of the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa, Wednesday, June 26, 2002, as they protest the G-8 summit taking place in Kananaskis, Alberta. Photo by Tom Hanson:

Borrowed from: www.atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/ :

A Pakistani woman gestures next to a burning effigy of Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilders during a protest against a recent Dutch film that portrays Islam as a ticking time bomb (ironic when you consider the reaction, huh?) aimed at the West in Karachi, Pakistan, Sunday, March 30, 2008:

from http://www.daylife.com/ :

16 months ago: Kashmiri Shiite Muslims shout anti American slogans as they burn an effigy of U.S. President George W. Bush during a protest in Srinagar, India, Thursday, June, 14, 2007. Over 500 angry demonstrators carrying black flags and copies of Quran and burning effigies of U.S. President Bush, rallied against destruction of the two minarets of the Askariya shrine in Iraq in a bombing blamed on al-Qaida insurgents, during a protest which, according to a protestor, was 'against the bombing and against the American occupation of Iraq which has led to bombing.' :

from http://www.foxnews.com/ :

"Several locals and tour buses have swung by the house to snap photos of the scene, and some gawkers say it is humorous. Morisette acknowledged to FOX 11 news that had he depicted Barack Obama (instead of Sarah Palin) in the same scene, it would not have gone over as well."

from: http://www.bearpit.net/ :

I guess, in the end, there's outrage about a couple Obama effigies having been hanged at college campuses (This was not political speech. It was simply hate. It was profoundly wrong and deeply offensive," said Beshear[democrat governor of KY] in a statement. "This incident does not reflect who we are as a flagship institution of higher learning or a Commonwealth. I appreciate the university's resolve to investigate this matter and ensure that such actions will not be tolerated.") (U.K. President Lee T. Todd Jr.: "Unfortunately, this morning an effigy of Senator Barack Obama was discovered hanging in a tree on campus. I am personally offended and deeply embarrassed by this disgusting episode. This is not reasonable political expression; it is just malicious. And it is unacceptable. On behalf of the University of Kentucky I apologize to Senator Obama and his family. I will personally assure them that this is not who we are as a University or as a state), but in my search, this is the best picture I could find when googling "obama effigy":

Funny, but when I posted it there was an old Nazi poster of Hitler with his face replaced by Obama. It disappeared within the half-hour of posting and was replaced with this (Hebrew?) symbol.

Oh, well (edit, 9:35 PM), it looked a lot like this picture, but with the younger-Hitler-flip-hairdoo:

Yes, people should be upset that his effigy is being hanged, but why not get upset about it when it's a Republican hanging or on fire?

Good Ol' Princess

2008-10-19T19:59:00.000-05:00

Circa August 1995 (almost 1 year old):

Princess; 1994-2008

2008-10-12T15:34:00.001-05:00

Goodbye to a great dog.

Oddity re: Mac n' Cheese post from last October

2008-09-20T14:50:00.004-05:00

Using SiteMeter, I see that 23 out of the last 100 visitors to my blog arrived straight into this previous post.

Why??? Anyone?

.

The Fairy King?

2008-09-14T19:49:00.002-05:00

Continuously fermenting mead.

2008-09-14T18:52:00.010-05:00

I mentioned in my last post that I have a "continuously fermenting mead". I thought I'd explain since I had never mentioned it here before. It looks like any other mead, as you see here:

As I listened to an archived episode of Basic Brewing Network's podcast of an interview done with a South African meadmaker he mentioned his "continuously fermenting" system. I began to look into this idea, not really knowing what it was, and came across the sherry "solera" idea that I had read about long ago when I was learning about wine. What I decided was that it was all just terribly impractical and I was not going to try it.

What I did was start a batch of mead with a combination of a lot of samples of different fermentations, mostly citrus wines from the back yard, that I had going at the time as a starter since I had no yeast and could not afford any more ingredients (Misty came across the honey purchased a couple years before in the back of a closet, so the mead wasn't costing me any current money to produce). Money was a huge factor in deciding to try this, you see: I figured I could afford 3lbs. of honey at $6 (yes, grocery store honey) every month or two. What I did was siphon a gallon out and replace it with new honey and water. I applied this to a blueberry and to a pineapple mead (for the wedding in my earlier post). I put the fruit in the gallon jugs and racked some semi-sweet still fermenting mead on top of it to finish. These did not require a whole 2 gallons of mead because of the fruit's displacement, so I pulled out a few bottles worth and cold-crashed it in the fridge for drinking at a ripe young age. Not bad stuff.

It's been going since February, I think. I hope to keep it going for a nice long time. I like the solera philosophy that once you start tapping the last barrel, it is a nice blend of old and new and have figured out how I can use this to achieve a similar end. I do have to rack to a new carboy every couple of months to reduce the risk of autolosys (sic?), but do not have to worry about oxidation from the racking since it is perpetually fermenting and the added oxygen is actually beneficial to the yeast (I think). My hope is that after a couple years use, I will be able to pull a gallon and finish its fermentation and it will already taste fairly well-aged. It will never match the solera for aging because this is my fermentation method, not my aging method. Maybe I'll add something for that. Remind me and I'll let you know in a couple of years.

Special Beer Tasting Night

2008-09-12T18:07:00.007-05:00

Orval Trappist Ale 6.9%abv 11.2oz (aka 330ml):

distinct "skittle" bottle shape!

nice CO2 hiss and cloud on escape.

beautiful creamy/meringue like head that lasts too long when thirsty.

great aroma: just a hint of wildness, woodiness, sweettartiness, carbonation is high and forces aroma into the nose upon swallowing.

light golden/orange color.

tastes of: wood, copper, hoppy but not distinct it blends into the beer, slightly sweet, tart, very slight bitter/hoppy aftertaste, brett flavor grows as beer warms .

I tossed the bottle dregs into my continuously fermenting mead. I just couldn't help myself.

Dogfish Head 90 minute Imperial India Pale Ale 9%abv 12oz:

unassuming standard brown 12 ounce bottle with distinctly non-laminated label suggesting recyclability and/or cheapness.

bread-dough head. not as long-lasting as the Orval, but still a lingerer.

malty-sweet and floral-citrusy hop aroma. amazing. I couldn't help getting foam on my nose because I couldn't get enough. I'm realizing as I type this that even though the glass is a good 18" away from my nose, I can still pull it in.

beatutiful deep golden amber color.

Oh, my gods... the taste...

sweet, brown sugar, molasses, MALT, and the hops- how can I describe them- they are there the whole way, citrusy,- but for an IPA they are not overwhelming or dominating. I have to stop typing now so I can drink...

... why must it be so expensive?!?!...

... it tastes like gold should taste if you could drink it. With hops, especially at the finish...

...It lingers on the palate like pecan pie...

...I'm having this at Thanksgiving with my signature pecan pie!!!

...sure doesnt't tasste like 9%...

... my face is warm...

...sorry to see it go.

I'm afraid to open the next one, that's going to be a devestatingly tough act to follow.

Altenmunster Doppelbock Winterbier 7.2%abv 1pt, 0.9oz (aka500ml):

flip-top!!!

Great pop, with a little spray on the forearm.

Quite foamy, dissipates faster than the other 2. Bread-dough also, but with slightly bigger bubbles.

Very dark reddish-braun.

Surprisingly "fresh" malty aroma. Something I just can't put my nose on...

Surprisingly "fresh" taste. Perhaps it's an out of balance acid of some sort. Not too roasty/toasty and light malt for a doppel. Slight raisiny flavor. I might really like it some other time, but that DFH90.....

...roasted barley, maybe chocolate malt... It certainly doesn't taste like Spaten.

It's taking a very long time to drink, which considering the abv of these beers is not necessarily a bad thing. I'll be back...

Guten nacht!

Delerium Nocturnum Belgian ale 8.5%abv 11.2oz (aka330ml):

flecked-painted bottle to keep the light out so it won't skunk and there's a pink elephant on the label!

head is puffy, but deflates pretty quickly. May have been the glass.

aroma is of caramel, toasty-raisin, light toffee, slightly sweet, no hops.

color is dark brown, with unappealing fuzzy chunks.

taste is tangy, malty-sweet. slight burnt-caramel. is the tanginess and the fuzzy chunks on purpose?

Nice lace.

I think this bottle's off. The tanginess is too much, and the chunks are hanging in the beer in exactly the same way that bricks don't (thank you, Douglas Adams).

Re: Sleeping well at night. (guns XXX) [that means 30!]

2008-09-09T15:57:00.008-05:00

Ironic, considering the last post I made.

2:00 AM
Misty woke me up. She heard the door on the lanai shut. She got her pistol and went out front. I got the shotgun and went out back. I scanned the yard and roof with the barrel mounted flashlight but found nothing, but when I got back to the front door she came running in. "There was a guy out there!" She had seen him by our trash cans.

"What are you doing?!" as she raised her pistol.

"Sorry, ma'am, I just dropped my wallet." And then he took off.

She scared him out of his flip-flops and he also dropped a woman's checkbook in the street. He had been ditching some presumably stolen goods in our trash. There was an empty "Hooters" billfold (what they give you your bill in) and some bottles of prenatal vitamins. She called the police, who came and got the description from her.

About a year ago, our neighbor came home one evening to find a stranger on his lanai. He called the police who came and looked around. They heard noise from the roof. It was the stranger jumping off. He got away.

I always thought the suburbs were more peaceful than this.

Mak-90 partII (guns xxix)

2008-09-08T18:43:00.004-05:00

Last time I posted a pic of this, I said that maybe I'd get one with the 75 round drum under it.

Here it is:

The sleepy-time sheets help, but the rifle is what really makes me sleep well at night.

Another forgotten photo

2008-09-04T20:34:00.001-05:00

For those who don't know, our Lauren declared at the age of 6 that she wanted to be a pastry chef and now that she's 13 she has never once changed her mind. She made this pan of brownies:

Forgotten Range Pics... (guns XXIIX)

2008-09-04T20:05:00.004-05:00

... from the past year or so:

Smith & Wesson mdl 65-3 in my hands:
Kel-Tec P3AT:
That same S&W 65-3 3"bbl .357 mag 6-shooter:
The break-top S&W you may recognize from earlier posts:
The .22 Browning rifle my dad gave me:

Congratulations to Ernesto and Pam!!!

2008-08-30T17:19:00.005-05:00

A great couple, and great friends.

Inspired by a BYO magazine recipe for a Mountain Dew Beer, I made this for their wedding. Ernesto is a Mountain Dew drinker, you see.

I was honored to not only brew, but to make ribs and also officiate the ceremony.

3 gallons Mountain Dew poured into fermenter

boiled:

2.5 gallons water

4lbs. Munton's light DME

1/2 oz. Cascade 45 min.

1/2 oz. Cascade 10 min.

pitched:

Safale 05

It was a love/hate reception. About a third of those who tried it hated it immediately and the other two-thirds said it was really interesting and then proceeded to empty the keg.

Mead Day 2008

2008-08-30T15:55:00.006-05:00

2 August 2008

H.A.M.S. club held our part of National Mead Day at Rasher Tierney's.

The other mead guys, John and Jim, tend to be more traditional than I: they usually heat or even boil their must. They were heading up our Mead Day, so that's what we did.

I did not intentionally overexpose the photos, but it does kind of give the feeling of HOTNESS. It was a very blistery day. I really like mead, it's my favorite, so I'm going to suggest we do two club Mead Days: one on the standard 1st Saturday of August and another in February. We can do a no-heat mead indoors in August and a heat or boil mead outdoors in February. Florida brewing is necessarily different from most of the rest of the country due to our climate.

John brought this commercial bottle of "Orange Blossom Honey Wine". It was pretty well colorless and tasted like a simple syrup. He and Jim and I all brought some of our own and they were better by far!
The owner of Rasher Tierney's is a really good guy. He accomodates our somewhat rowdy group really well.

Misty and John passed out samples of our meads. They were well recieved and allowed us to evangelize about this, the greatest and most ancient of adult beverages.
Here's a blueberry melomel (melomel means a honey-wine with fruit added) I was working on just before mead day. It was not quite ready for mead day, but I cold-crashed the yeast out of a bottle's worth and then topped up with citrus wine. I'm happy to say that just about everyone liked it:

May or June 2001, in black and white

2008-08-26T17:55:00.005-05:00

Shortly after Devin came home from the hospital:

Possibly the best photo I took with our "original" Canon Elph APS camera (even though my focus is off a touch).

Very handy little camera, but it was quickly overtaken by digital technology.

our newest offering

2008-08-16T18:25:00.001-05:00

Pints for Prostates

2008-08-16T17:55:00.002-05:00

Pints for Prostates Delivers Men’s Health Message Using the Universal Language of Beer

Effort Enlists the Beer Industry to Urge Prostrate (sic) Cancer ScreeningCharlotte, N.C. – The symptoms of prostate cancer rarely show before the disease has progressed, but a simple PSA blood test can serve as an early warning and save men’s lives. But how do you reach men in their late 30s and early 40s, when statistics show they often skip regular physicals and avoid doctor’s offices?“Pints for Prostates is an awareness campaign designed to reach men through the universal language of beer...

Need I say more? Visit Pints for Prostates.

Twins (unindentical)

2008-08-05T20:15:00.004-05:00

Though you can't tell in the picture, these wines were nicely cleared up. They are the 2nd annual citrus wines put together in January. The one on the left was aged on orange blossoms from my pruning at the spring equinox. The floral aroma is overpowering even though, as you see, there isn't really that much in the way of flowers in the jug- maybe an inch in the bottom of the gallon. I have since bottled some for later and split the remainder into four containers: two left as they are here, and two of each of the same with oven-kilned orange wood in them.

As I said, the floral aroma was very strong so I am considering blending what I bottled of that one into an orange blossom mead when it's ready to bottle, just for a little extra varietal character.

As the orange wood was drying the smell was very sweet and almost honey-like. I can't wait to see what they age into.

Fermented and aged from New Year's Day to the Vernal Equinox; split between flower and no flower until the Summer Solstice; split between flower, no flower, flower with wood, and no flower with wood. To age until the Autumn Equinox and be bottled for tasting around the next new year.

but... I read.... to my kids... but nobody gives me beer for it...

2008-07-31T20:07:00.001-05:00

Free beer for men who read
7:00AM Friday August 01, 2008
Organisers of New Zealand Book Month are offering free beer to try to entice blokes to read books.
To promote reading as a "manly" activity, organisers have invited fathers and their sons to an evening of male bonding over sports, adventure and literature.
When they arrive at the venue, the Auckland Town Hall, the guests will also get a free beer - but only if they produce identification.
The evening, entitled A Word in his Ear, will be held on Friday September 5.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10524694

I can't get the beer (damnit!) for reading, as we're in the wrong country, but most recently we've been reading "the Children of Odin". I ordered it online with gift cards, thanks, Mom!

1994 doesn't seem so long ago, really...

2008-07-21T20:45:00.002-05:00

I was in a photography class when Misty and I met. This print was a composite of two negatives: one photo I took of a bear at the St. Louis Zoo and one she took of me leaning in the car window. It struck me one day that we were in the same pose, the bear and I, so I thought I'd play around a little. I liked it, how 'bout you?

All Grain II update III

2008-07-19T22:36:00.004-05:00

You wouldn't believe how hard it is to get a good picture through the glass with a bunch of condensate and kreusen all over the inside of it. This is what it looks like tonight:

Anyway, it looks like it's turning into beer at this point. At the pub social, it was theorized that perhaps the dry hops' antibacterial properties managed to keep whatever the weird stuff was from taking control. Sounds good to me. So the photo is through a clear spot in the wall of the glass surrounded by kreusen and is still a little out of focus, but in the middle on the left side you can see the nice bready yeasty normal thing happening.

Here's another photo attempt from earlier today:

White Balance

2008-07-19T22:06:00.005-05:00

This will teach me to learn what the heck I'm doing before I do it, huh? I had the white balance set for the incandescent lights we were under, but I used the flash (hiding it behind a piece of paper to keep the glare down).

I went with a few fellow H.A.M.S. club members to a pub social at Sarasota Brewing Company. It was a pretty cool place. Not too much going on, a few families eating dinner together and a few patrons sitting at the bar. Then there were the beer geeks in the corner. I mean us.

I swear they didn't have blue beer. Stupid "white balance".

a pint of Maibok:

There seemed to be a distinct lack of head on the beers in general. We couldn't pinpoint why. The Maibok did lace the glass, though.

My tasting notes:
I really liked the Maibok the most even though it was a bit hoppier than I expected. Overall Vince (the brewer and I believe to be a fellow H.A.M.S. member) did a great job making big and well recieved batches of beer. I passed around my sampler of Sunset Red for everyone to try because I thought maybe something was wrong with it. Apparently all that was wrong is that I just didn't have an appreciation of the style (I don't really care for that style) because even though not everyone who tried it liked it nobody thought there was anything wrong with it. Anyway, that one aside, I was really impressed. As you'll see if you click on my notes to enlarge them, I thought they did a great job describing their beers. I tasted each before reading the descriptions and was kind of at a loss when it came to writing notes because much of what I noticed was already typed up for me.

All Grain II update II

2008-07-18T18:37:00.004-05:00

Sorry about the quality of this picture, but it turned out to be the best of the lot from last night. There's a bit of condensation on the inside of the carboy and that proved difficult to work around.

Still odd looking, but not quite as weird.

All Grain II (update w/pic)

2008-07-12T15:29:00.002-05:00

That potentially wild-yeasted beer:
This is what it looked like prior to racking. I tasted it and noticed nothing out of the ordinary. We shall see.

2008-07-07T19:57:00.004-05:00

Sunday started by looking like this: (sorry, I realize looking at the picture now that we need to wash the van)

And ended like this: (on the ride home)

With all this in between:

Some of Misty's relatives from Indiana were in town- Anna Maria Island to be more specific, so we went out to visit.

This poor umbrella just had the hardest time staying upright:

Pelican:

Self-portrait: (I'm not in the sand because I was seeking the shade after my Independence Day sunburn)

Kevin: (16 and cool)

See, the hardest time:

Lindy's pic-a-nic blanket:

Our poor sunburnt Devin, playing 'neath the umbrella:

Zack, Trey, Nick, and Kevin (left to right): (it's been a few years since they all saw each other, but they hung out on the beach and played "ladderball" like a bunch of guys hanging out at the beach)
I was not able to to get any good pictures of Lauren as she stayed out and under-water most of the afternoon.

All Grain II

2008-07-06T19:03:00.004-05:00

There's a film on top of the wort. The dry hops are underneath the film.

possible problem?

I don't know, but I think it may be wild yeast.

does anyone know?

Thanks to Fred from H.A.M.S. for the brew day at his house last weekend. His homebrewery is AWESOME!

Independence Day

2008-07-06T08:21:00.008-05:00

We had a good ol' time, thanks to Ernesto and Pam's invitation. We met them out at South Lido Park where they had a great spot back off the nature trail.

I guess our food smelled pretty good. This little lady tried to pry the lid off Pam's baked beans dish while nobody was looking. (Credit to Misty for getting this photo)

Must have smelled really good! Look at all the boats that came in:

Ribs:

Self-portrait:

Lauren, left and Devin, right:

Kevin, having trouble with his goggles:

Devin's grapes:

Sea grapes:

I must have had my camera set to video by accident. I inteded to do a little macro shot of the sea grapes, but caught what appears to be an ant chasing off a fly.

Thanks, guys!

1st time All-Grain

2008-07-02T19:35:00.007-05:00

Malt. Mild Ale, Crystal, and Chocolate. All you can really see is the crystal and a little bit of the mild ale.

My humble brewpot:

Saxo, for inspirational purposes:

My humble mash-tun, overfilled. I had to put a bit into the brewpot early so I could close the lid.

A Fuggle plug, for those who don't know. Surpisingly, many homebrewers have only ever seen pelletized hops. I prefer these:

As they say in all the books: a "vigorous boil":

Terrible efficiency, I know, but for my 6 gallons of 1.033 wort I used:

12 lbs. mild ale malt (Munton's)

2 lbs. crystal malt, 80 L

1/4 lb. chocolate malt

1/4 oz. Fuggle in the mash

1/4 oz. Fuggle 1st wort hopped

1/4 oz. Fuggle last 15 minutes, flavor

1/4 oz. Fuggle last 7 minutes, aroma

added 1 lb. sugar to come to 1.040 starting gravity

Wyeast Activator pack of the Ringwood strain. Yes, I did a diacetyl rest in case you wondered, though I'm not sure it was required.

Fermented at ambient temps around 74-76F and finished at 1.004! A pretty classy lawnmower beer, if I say so myself. Did the trick when I got done mowing yesterday, anyway.

Poor extract aside, it turned out to be really good! I'll post some new pics after Independance Day so you can see the finished product.

(edit to add a couple pics 7-7-08)

Roller Derby

2008-07-01T21:33:00.005-05:00

We went with Jim and John, a couple of fellow HAMS club members, and met up also with Marck and Heather of Bacon Towne Records, to a recent Bradentucky Bombers roller derby thing (match, game, ???). It was the last of the season, the Bombers split into two teams: the Garter Belt Gangsters (who we rooted for) vs. the Jawbreakers (they wore pink) in the Trailer Trash Rumble. We (the Garter Belt Gangsters) won! It was the first time I'd witnessed a roller derby event and I was really quite impressed at the thing. It was much better than I thought it would be, and really was very athletic and sportslike. You'd have to see it to understand, I think. Perhaps next time, I'll learn to do video and add it to the blog.

for once,

2008-06-17T18:30:00.001-05:00

A t-shirt I do own:

We got it at a gun show a couple of years back. I wonder if it really translates correctly...

happy father's day to me!

2008-06-16T17:33:00.003-05:00

Dessert:
"Saisson Athene" from Saint Somewhere Brewing Co. and gooey butter cake made by Lauren to Grammy's own recipe (oh, the memories!).

The last concert of the year:

2008-05-30T20:08:00.004-05:00

Band. Middle School. Lauren. Jazz Band, in this picture:

Lauren's infamous "tapping foot". It doesn't necessarily even keep time, but it keeps on tapping all throughout.

Congratulations

2008-05-29T16:57:00.001-05:00

For my wife, Misty:

Congratulations, official RN!!!

Last Beer.

2008-05-24T11:28:00.004-05:00

The last of the brown bitter, anyway.